Born the second son of a herdsman and seamstress, Li Tao met the travelling peddler Chun Ti Gong. The third time that the peddler visited, he paid the Wongs for the services of Li Tao, then a boy of ten, as an apprentice. It was soon revealed that Ti Gong was a martial arts master of the Long Fist style and that he had been traveling the country looking for a new student. Over the course of a few years, Li Tao had surpassed his master both in kung fu and in their favorite game, weishi. When Ti Gong was slain by a duellist, Li Tao avenged his master.

During the war, Li Tao supported Chiang Kai-Shek, if only because he felt that in doing so he gave China it's best chance against the Imperial Japanese Army and because he felt that was how best to honor his friend, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. Both the Communists and the Nationalists mismanaged their economies, their peasants, and their troops. It seemed to Li Tao that they placed their stones haphazardly. Yet, whenever any of the superhumans of Kami-musha aided the Japanese Army, Go was there to counter them. Six times he fought against Itazurakko - two losses, two stalemates, and, finally, two victories. The mystical macaque was the superior martial art talent, but the method behind his complex moves were eventually solved by the Weishi master.

It was the last battle on the mountain known as Hkakaborazi in Burma that was the most marvelous of these legendary battles. An eyewitness and student of kung fu wrote later about the "Rolling Dance of the Three Thousand Beats" in which Go and Itazurakko exchanged three thousand, one hundred and fifty-seven moves over two hours and covering roughly two square kilometers. At last, the worn and bleeding Weishi master countered the tired and battered monkey's Hawk Swoop with Watermill Wheel. Itazurakko plunged over the cliff into a churning pool and was never seen again.

It was also during the war that Li Tao Wong was given a code name by an agent of the American OSS. Because of his aptitude at his favorite pastime, he was known as Go (as it was known in the United States). At first, he was distraught that the code name was one of Japanese origin, but he grew accustomed to it, especially since his friend Airdrop seemed to like it. The fact that in English it was a word of action just helped acceptance. Besides, the right to decide the code name was won on the game board and it would not do for Li Tao to retract on a bet that resulted in such a well played game.

Throughout the war, Li Tao traveled from southern China as far as India, French Polynesia, and Siberia. His martial arts acumen always to be a focus of his encounters in all places whether by enlightened teachers seeking discussion, students seeking knowledge, or duellists seeking to test their skills. After the war, at the request of his friend Airdrop, Go spent several years in Japan as a consultant to the American governors of the country. Just as he could redirect the lethal attacks of a Crimson Spider assassin, he found that he could also advise to redirect nationalistic competitiveness from violent conquest to productive industry. In the island nation, Go found great discourse and challenge in both the martial arts and in the game of weishi, known in Japan as Go.

While Japan was becoming a peaceful democratic society, the same was not true of his homeland. The Communists had chased the Nationalists from the continent. But, the autocracy in the name of the people was just as bad as any other autocracy. Li Tao withdrew from society for the most part. He was only rarely seen in the cities, spending much of his time in the forests, mountains, and even the desert. During this time he quietly opposed Chairman Mao and his cronies, but never truly confronted them. Often Go left the country and traveled the world seeking knowledge of martial arts and challenge in weishi or any of the myriad variants of chess and other similar board games.

In 1998, Go happened to be in Los Angeles when Las Vegas was invaded by the F'plrara. Members of Sanction and other nearby superheroes held off the alien ground and air forces. But nearly all combatants stopped and watched as Go squared off against the veteran Strike Commander R'vanug. High above the city on the Stratosphere, the 'Contest of Fists of Earth and the Stars' was only surpassed by the legendary last battle of Go and Itazurakko nearly four decades earlier. The supreme master of Earth's martial arts, using a Four-limb Lock, finally forced his opponent to yield.

Go continues to travel the world seeking a good game of go and discourse in martial arts and go philosophy. While he is much sought after as a teacher, most requests are turned down.

Original concept by Rob Rogers; character development by Neil Ma

Personality

Grand Master Go has a quiet sense of humor and still remains vigorous even if he has lost a step since his physical prime. Because he likes to spend his time playing Go and perfecting his knowledge of Go and martial arts, it is rare that the enlightened master takes on a student. He will do so only at the request of a dear friend, if the potential student presents him with a challenging board game - preferably of Go, or, on very rare occasions, if he finds something about a talented prospect amusing. He will never teach martial arts to one who intends to use it for personal gain. As a scholar of the arts martial, he is very good at adapting martial arts to a student's natural abilities (including superhuman abilities).

Go is a master of nearly all martial arts. In addition, he has adapted the keys of strategy that he has learned from his mastery of the game Go (or Weishi) to his martial arts. While he is slightly slower than he was in his prime, he is still formidable. Still, he tends to allow his students to do most of the fighting if they are around.

Appearance

Bald as a go stone, Go still has bright deep brown eyes that hint at deep thought. He wears simple short robes or similar loose clothing over his body and leather sandals over his much traveled feet. When the weather is warm, he sometimes wears just a simple breech cloth.